Frequently Asked Questions

What is a manifesto?

If you have never stood in an election before, it is unlikely you will ever have heard of a manifesto! Simply put, a manifesto is a (short) document that you produce as a candidate, that outlines who you are and what you want to do in your year as a particular officer.

The best manifestos are not too information heavy, and state clearly what and how you will achieve what you set out to do.

It is often a good idea to choose some key areas (around 3) to focus on that you think need the most work. Consider what you have found difficult or frustrating about your time here. Now is your chance to change it!

An Example Manifesto

My name is Elle Lections, I'm a third year Education Studies Student, and I'm running to be your Welfare Officer. I have been heavily involved in societies at UoG and I believe I can improve the SU further and engage more students.

So what do I want to change?

Mental Health Awareness

I want to promote and run a mental health campaign throughout the year to minimise the stigma that surrounds mental health whilst encouraging people to speak out and use the fantastic services that this university provides.

Open Door Policy

I want to set up an open door policy where there is a designated amount of drop in time at each campus. This drop in session would be on top of bookable appointments, and would be for people to talk to me if they would like to chat about their concerns or to get problems off their chest. I want to take up the opportunity to be the students voice.

Societies Development

I will support societies to help them continue with their positive development. One way I aim to do this is by setting up a societies committee so that I am able to give each society an opportunity to voice their opinions and be heard.

What do I need to do during the elections?

Write a manifesto. This will need to be done when you submit your nomination.

Create a poster. When you have created your poster, you will need to send it to the SU. We will print the posters, and put 1 from each candidate up on each campus. We will then give you a few more to put up around the university.

Attend Candidates Briefing. It is compulsory that you attend as we will be running over the rules and regulations.

Hustings/ Question Time. Hustings are where candidates are asked questions about what they want to do with their year as officer. The night has a great atmosphere, and it is a fantastic opportunity for all students to find out about their candidates.

Social media. You can campaign quite effectively using social media. You can start doing this immediately after the candidates briefing.

Talk to people. You can go out and actively campaign.

Results Night. Results night is held in FCH Bar. Here your new Full-Time Officers will be announced.

How can I utilise Social Media?

I want to produce a campaign video

Videos are another really great way to help publicise your campaign.

The Students' Union will be able to help all candidates produce a simple video.

Or you can be the director and creator of your own video, try the examples here or here.

Remember that the aim of the video is to get your message out to students about what your policies are, and why they should vote for you!

What is an NUS conference delegate?

The NUS National Conference is the highest decision making body within the NUS. This year the conference will be held in Scotland (dates TBC). The conference is attended by over 1,200 delegates from the 600+ Students’ Unions which are affiliated to the NUS.

An NUS conference delegate is someone who attends the NUS national conference. During the conference, the delegate must vote on the behalf of all of the students of The University of Gloucestershire, about various things such as who is going to run the NUS for the next year (e.g. who will be the next President/Vice President/ Liberation Officers), and also to choose the priorities of the NUS for the next year.

To find out what the NUS is currently working on visit their webpage here

What is the NUS?

The NUS stands for National Union of Students and almost all Students’ Unions in the UK are members of the NUS. You may have heard of the NUS, for example on the NUS extra card, which provides you with money off at various outlets; however, the NUS does much, much more than this.

The primary mission of the NUS is to promote, defend and extend the rights of students, as well as develop and champion strong Students’ Unions. They campaign on issues such as higher education funding, as well as helping Students’ Unions in their activities, by representing and supporting them, and offering services to students.

As a Students’ Union, we are affiliated to the NUS. This means that we get to have our say (through voting) in who runs the NUS and how it is run.

You can check out the NUS webpage here, for more information about what the NUS is and does.

Candidate Welfare

The Elections Committee which is a team comprised of a Returning Officer (Stewart Dove), a Deputy Returning Officer, an Elections Chair, and 2 student members are responsible for the welfare of all the candidates.

Any concerns, queries or complaints should be made known to this committee.

The Elections period, whilst very rewarding will also be very tiring. So make sure you remember to eat and sleep enough, and don't fall behind on your university work.